Advanced Brain Imaging to Understand How MS Causes Pain
Funding Amount
$50,000
Geographic Region(s) / Province(s)
Alberta
Research Priorities
Life-modifying therapies
Impact Goal(s)
Advance Treatment and Care
Affiliation(s): Governors of the University of Alberta
Researcher(s): Dr. Allen Chan
Summary:
Chronic pain is a significant burden for people living with MS, and current treatments are ineffective or are associated with a range of side effects.
Dr. Allen Chan and team will use a new brain imaging technique called ‘mesoscale imaging’ to investigate whether changes in brain activity and connectivity lead to chronic pain in mice with MS-like disease.
Findings from this research will provide foundational information on the underlying mechanisms of pain in MS and potentially identify new targets for future therapeutic strategies.
Project Description:
Chronic pain affects nearly 60% of people living with MS. The underlying mechanisms of pain in MS are not well understood and available therapies for neuropathic pain relief are mostly ineffective or are associated with a range of side effects.
Dr. Allen Chan and team will use a newly developed advanced imaging approach called ‘mesoscale imaging’ to examine how changes in brain activity of mice with MS-like disease (experimental autoimmune encephalomyelitis or EAE) lead to chronic pain. Mesoscale imaging can detect patterns of activity over large areas of brain tissue and provide insights into how activity in specific parts of the brain changes with disease progression, and in turn affect the processes of other brain regions.
Potential Impact: This research will provide foundational information about the changes in brain activity and connectivity leading to pain in MS, potentially identifying new targets for future therapeutic strategies to manage and treat chronic pain in MS.
Project Status: In Progress